Device for draping fourdrinier wire



Feb. 27, 1962 H. H. HART 3,022,820

DEVICE FOR DRAPING FOURDRINIER WIRE Filed March 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 326' M I l INVENTOR HARRY -H. HART ATTORNEYS Feb. 27, 1962 H. H. HART DEVICE FOR DRAPING FOURDRINIER WIRE 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

Filed March 9, 1959 gzz 220 84 HARRY H. HART BY M41 [24% 7 M ATIJ'ORNEYAS 3,022,820 DEVICE FOR DRAPING FOURDRINIER WERE Harry H. Hart, Centerville, Del., assignor to John Inglis Co. Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Mar. 9, 1959, er. No. 798,074 11 Claims. (Cl. 162273) This invention relates to article handling and more particularly to a device used in draping a Fourdrinier wire in open loop formation for lateral movement onto a Fourdrinier machine.

While the device of the present invention is useful in draping Fourdrinier wire for insertion on any type of Fourdrinier machine, it is particularly applicable in draping the new wire in connection with the Fourdrinier machine disclosed in my copending application filed concurrently herewith.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a Fourdrinier wire-draping device which is simple to load, efiicient to operate and economical to manufacture and maintain.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a Fourdrinier wire-draping device of the type described having improved means for receiving and discharging the poles upon which the wire is supported.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a wire buggy of the type described having improved means for receiving and supporting the bundle poles for rotation to pay out the Wire wrapped therearound.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention can best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of a Fourdrinier wiredraping device or buggy embodying the principles of the present invention showing the same in its loaded condition;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the buggy, with parts broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of a conventional Fourdrinier wire bundle; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic side elevational view showing the manner in which the buggy is used in draping a new Fourdrinier wire.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURES l and 2 a Fourdrinier wire-draping device or buggy generally indicated at 250, which embodies the principles of the present invention. The buggy includes a main frame comprising a pair of end frames 252 interconnected by a single elongated frame member 254 extending transversely between the uppermost portions of the end frames. Each end frame 252 includes a lower horizontal member 256 having the lower end of a vertical member 258 secured to the rear end thereof. The upper end of the vertical member has a short horizontal member 2&0 secured thereto which extends inwardly. A plurality of members 262, 264, 266, and 268 are rigidly secured together to form an inverted U- shaped frame section in which the lower end of the member 262, forming one of its legs, is secured to the inner end of the short horizontal member 260. The lower end of the member 268 forming the opposite leg of the section has a corresponding short horizontal member 270 rigidly secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom. A vertical member 272 is secured at its upper end to the outwardly extending end of the short horizontal member 270 and has its lower end terminating in spaced relation to the forward end of the horizontal member 256. Finally, each end frame is completed by the securement of a horizontal member 274 to the lower end of the vertical member 272.

The horizontal member 274 extends inwardly and has a bearing 276 fixed on the upper surface thereof. A shaft 278 is journalled in each bearing 276 for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis. Mounted on the inner end of each shaft 278 inwardly of the associated end frame is a dial 280 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced circular pockets 282 formed in the peripheries thereof and one pocket 284 of elliptical configuration having a width substantially twice the width of the circular pockets.

The dials are rotated by any suitable means and, as shown, a sprocket wheel or pulley 286 is mounted on the outer end of each shaft 278 outwardly of the associated end frames and each sprocket wheel has a chain or belt 288 trained thereabout and about a pair of idler sprocket Wheels or pulleys 290 and 292 suitably journalled on the horizontal frame member 274 in horizontally spaced relation. Each chain 288 is also trained about a chain tensioning sprocket wheel or pulley 294 mounted on a shaft 296 journalled in a bearing 203 secured to the associated vertical member 272 for vertical adjustment, as by an adjusting bolt 380. The outer end of each shaft 296 has a hand wheel 302 fixed thereto for effecting movement of the chain 288 and hence movement of the associated dial 280.

In order to retain the wire poles P within the pockets, corner plates 304 are secured adjacent the inner corners of each end frame, the plates 304- including inner edges 306 arcuate about the axis of rotation of the shaft and dial. If desired, steps 308 may be provided which extend outwardly from the plates 304.

Mounted on the upper bight portion of each of the inverted U-shaped framesections is a bearing housing 310 having a threaded shaft 312 extending vertically therethrough. The lower end of the shaft has a supporting bar 314 connected thereto which is transversely apertured at its lower end to rotatably receive a shaft 316. Fixed to the shaft 316 on opposite sides of the supporting bar 314 is a pair of pulleys 318 each having an endless V belt 320 supported thereby. A hand wheel 322 is secured to each shaft 316 outwardly of the outer pulley 318 for turning both pulleys and hence moving the V belts supported thereby. This arrangement thereby provides means for supporting the opposite ends of adjacent bundle poles BPZ and BPS and for supporting the same for rotation about a longitudinal axis to pay out wire wrapped therearound, as will become apparent.

Each shaft 312 is mounted for vertical movement within the associated housing 310 by means of a hand wheel 324 having an interiorly thread hub member 326 arranged to engage exterior threads of the shaft. It will be understood that by turning the wheels 324 the vertical position of the shafts 316 on the lower end of the supporting bars 314 can be readily adjusted.

Mounted on the upper portion of the inverted U-shaped section of each end frame of the buggy is a horizontally extending arm 328 having a U-shaped pole-supporting notch 330 formed in the outer end thereof. Rigidly secured to the vertical frame member 268 of one of the end frames is a bracket 332 having a lower roller 334 suitably journalled thereon and an upper roller 336 suitably journalled thereon in vertically and horizontally spaced relation to the roller 334. Each of the rollers is provided with a concave periphery for engaging the convex periphery of a wire-supporting pole. The opposite end frame has a fixed bracket 338 rigidly secured thereto and, in horizontal aiignment with the lower roller, an

upwardly facing semicircular notch 34% is formed therein.

The transverse frame member 254 of the buggy has a pair of transversely spaced, apertured brackets 342 extending upwardly therefrom for engagement by a pair of hooks H depending from a crane carriage C mounted for movement along tracks T suspended in a position above the longitudinal center line of the tending aisle in a well-known manner, see FIGURE 4.

When the buggy is being used to facilitate the draping of the Fourdrinier wire on the lower carriage of the machine, the buggy is supported from the carriage C riding on the ceiling tracks T. In order to handle the buggy during loading and at other times, the same is provided with four caster wheels 3 44 suitably secured to the horizontal frame members 256. The casters may be of any suitable construction.

Loading the Buggy In normal operation, the new Fourdrinier wire is obtained from the supplier in a bundle, as shown in FIG- URE 3. Usually, the bundle includes three bundle poles BP each having a longitudinal extent greater than the width of the Fourdrinier wire W. A first bundle pole BP]. is mounted inside the loop at one end of the Wire and a second bundle pole 8P2 is mounted on the inside of the loop at the end of the wire opposite the bundle pole BF The wire is then wrapped around the bundle pole BP2 and a third bundle pole BP3 mounted outside of the wire loop. Preferably, the poles BP used in the Fourdrinier wire bundle have a longitudinal extent somewhat less than the longitudinal extent of the poles P utilized to drape the wire on the lower carriage.

In order to load the buggy, the bundle pole BPl is placed in the notches 330 of arms 323 and the wire is unwound from the bundle poles BPZ' and BPS to a slight extent. The bundle poles BPZ and BP3 are then moved onto the horizontal base frame members 256 and into engagement with the elliptical pockets 284 of the dials 280. The hand wheels 3022 are then actuated to turn the dials 280 and thus move the bundle poles BP2 and BP3 into an upwardly disposed position at the top of the dials. Next, the hand wheels 324 are actuated to lower the belts 326 so that they can be moved around the ends of the bundle poles, and the hand wheels 324 are then turned in the opposite direction to raise the belts and hence the bundle poles carried thereby into their uppermost position, as shown in FIGURE 1.

Since the bundle pole BPl is utilized adjacent the couch end of the machine and draping of the wire proceeds from the breast roll end to the couch rollend of the machine, it is necessary to feed the bundle pole first to the dial pockets 232 This is accomplished by feeding a pole Pl between the rollers 334 and 336 until the opposite end is supported in the notch 340 of the arm 338. The bundle pole BPl is then removed, permitting the loop of the Fourdrinier wire to be supported on the pole P1. The dials are then rotated into a position wherein the elliptical pockets 284 are disposed in the lower right hand portion of the dial, as shown in FIGURE 1. This insures that counterclockwise rotation of the dials will continue to present a number of successive individual pockets 282 sufficient to receive all of the poles to be handled.

With the dials thus indexed, the bundle pole BPl is then lowered from the notches 330 and fed into the dials. The pole P1 is then shifted to the notches 338 and'the remaining poles P2-P8 are inserted within the loop with the aid of the rollers 334 and 336 and then fed to the dials. As each pole is fed to the dials they are suitably actuated by the hand wheels 392 until all of the poles are maintained in adjacent-pockets around the circumference of the dials within the wire loop as shown in FIGURE 1. Finally, the last pole P1 is moved from the .notches 330 and placed in notches 346 formed in'the upper surface of the outer ends of horizontal base frame members 256. With the buggy thus loaded, the same can be moved into the aisle into a position to assist in the draping of the Fourdrinier wire.

While the buggy 250 is generally useful in draping a new Fourdrinier wire for various types of Fourdrinier machines, it is particularly adapted to be used with the machine disclosed'and claimed in my co-pending applica tion Serial No. 798,283 filed March 9, 1959. A detailed description of the machine is not necessary to a clear understanding of the present invention and reference can be made, in this regard, to the co-pending application, if desired. In brief, as can be seen in FIGURE 4, the machine includes alower carriage which is movable transvers'ely with respect to the machine proper between a position beneath the frame of the machine to a position in the tending aisle transversely adjacent one side of the machine.

The carriage comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending beams 84' each of which is mounted for transverse horizontal movement between the positions mentioned. The upper outer ends of the beams 84 are rigidly connected with'a common horizontally disposed, longitudinally extending foot board 86.

The buggy 250 of the present invention is usedin draping the new Fourdrinier wire W on the carriage when the latter is disposed in the tending aisle. At the breast roll end of the carriage, a pair of horizontal brackets or supports 148 are fixed to the adjacent beam 84 intransvers'ely spaced relation. Extending upwardly from the outer end of each support 148 in fixed relation thereto is an angular vertical bracket or support 154. A lower pole clamp 156 is provided intermediate the ends of each horizontal support 148. Provided on each angular support 154 adjacent the upper end thereof and the central portion thereof are pole clamps 158 and 160. The pole clamps 156, 160' and 158 are arranged to fixedly receive the poles P1, P2 and P3, respectively, in a position to support one end of the Wire in open loop formation for passage over the conventional breast roll of the machine.

At the opposite end of the carriage there is provided a pair of longitudinally extensible and retractable support assemblies 162 carried by the adjacent carriage beam in transversely spaced relation. Each assembly 162 is provided with a lower pole clamp 202 and an upright member 286 carrying a pole clamp 298 at its upper end. The clamps 202 and 208 are arranged to fixedly receive the bundle poles 8P1 and BP2, respectively, in a position to support the other end of the wire W in open loop formation for passage over the couch roll end of the machine.

The bundle poles P4 through P8 which support the upper flight of the wire are, in turn, supported by a plurality of upright supports S4 through S8, respectively. The supports S on the outer side of the wire are detachably secured in the foot board 86, as shown in FIGURE 4, while the supports S on the opposite side of the wire are detachably secured in brackets (not shown) rigid with the machine frame.

The lower flight of the new Fourd'rinier wire is supported by a plurality of special poles 220 which are carried in longitudinally spaced, transversely extending relation atone end by acorresponding plurality of brackets 222 mounted in fixed depending relation to the foot board 86. The opposite end portion of the poles 220 are supported by rollers 230 mounted on the floor in a position to engage the undersurface of the poles below the tending side of the machine frame.

Draping the Foura'rinier Wire With the loaded buggy supported by the ceiling carriage C adjacent the breast roll end of the machine in the tending aisle as shown in full lines in FIGURE 4, and the lower carriage in position therein, the first three poles P1, P2 and P3 are secured within the clamps 156, 160 and 158, respectively, carried by the horizontal and angular supports 148 and 154. The buggy is then moved longitudinally toward the couch roll end of the machine while hand wheels 322 are turned to pay out the wire loop until it is positioned adjacent the supports S4. The pole P4 is then moved from the notches 346 of the lower base frame members and onto engagement with the vertical supports S4. The hand wheels 302 are then turned to index the pole P5 into the notches 346. This polesupporting procedure is repeated successively with poles P5, P6, P7 and PS, the position of the buggy when supporting pole P6 being shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4. It will be noted that as successive poles are supported they, in turn, receive and support the upper flight of the wire W while the poles 2Z0 receive and support the lower flight of the wire.

At the couch roll end of the machine, as shown in dotdash lines in FIGURE 4, the bundle poles BPI and BPZ are utilized to complete the draping of the wire. To this end, the extensible and retractable support assemblies 152 are first retracted and the bundle poles BPl and BP2 are then secured in position by the clamps 232 and 2%, respectively. Finally, support assemblies 162 are extended to tension the entire Fourdrinier wire W and complete the draping thereof about the lower carriage, as clearly shown in FlGURE 4. It will be noted that outside bundle pole BPS is not used in the draping but serves merely to provide a means about which the wire W is wound.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope or" the following claims.

I claim:

1. A Fourdrinier wire-draping device for handling a plurality of wire-supporting poles and a Fourdrinier wire bundle of the type including a pair of adjacent inside and outside bundle poles having an endless Fourdrinier wire wrapped therearound comprising a pair of end frames, means extending between the upper portion of said end frames only rigidly securing the same together in horizontally spaced relation so as to receive the wire therebetween, means operatively connected with said end frames for engaging an overhead hoist to suspend said end frames from the hoist means on said end frames for receiving opposite ends of the adjacent bundle poles of the bundle and for supporting the same for rotation about a longitudinally extending axis to pay out the wire wrapped therearound in a direction extending downwardly from the bundle poles, and means on said end frames disposed below said bundle pole receiving and supporting the ends of a plurality of wiresupporting poles within the downwardly extending portion of the endless wire payed out from said bundle poles to provide removal thereof by translational movement away from said end frames.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said wire supporting pole supporting means includes movable means operable to efiect supported movement of successive wire supporting poles into a position of removal.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said end frames has wheel means depending from the lower end thereof.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bundle pole receiving and supporting means comprises an endless belt adjacent each end frame having a lower portion for receiving and supporting one end of said adjacent bundle poles, a pulley carried by each end frame engaging within the upper portion of the associated belt, and means for rotating said pulleys.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said pulleys are mounted on said end frames by means providing for vertical adjustment thereof.

6. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said wiresupporting pole-supporting means includes a peripherally pocketed dial rotatably mounted on each end frame.

7. A Fourdrinier wire-draping device for handling a plurality of wire-supporting poles and a Fourdrinier wire bundle of the type including a pair of adjacent inside and outside bundle poles having an endless Fourdrinier wire wrapped therearound comprising frame means, means on said frame means for receiving and supporting the opposite ends of said bundle poles for rotation to pay out the Wire wrapped therearound, a pair of horizontally spaced dials rotatably mounted on said frame means about a common axis for supporting a plurality of poles within the portion of the wire payed out from said bundle poles, said dials having circumferentially spaced pole endreceiving recesses formed in the peripheries thereof, said frame means having openings therein communicating with the peripheries of said dials through which the poles can be moved in a direction transverse to their axes to engage the ends thereof within said recesses, and means on said frame means cooperating with said recesses for retaining the pole ends in the latter throughout at least a portion of the rotation of said dials.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said bundle pole receiving and supporting means comprises spaced endless belts having lower portions for receiving said bundle pole ends, and pulleys rotatably carried by said frame means engaging within the upper portions of said belts.

9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein said frame means is provided with openings communicating with the peripheries of said dials disposed adjacent the lower portions of said belts whereby the latter can be moved around the ends of a pole disposed in the recesses adjacent said last-mentioned openings, said pulleys being mounted on said frame means for vertical movement with respect thereto.

10. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein said frame means comprises spaced end frames having rigid means extending between the upper portions thereof only for securing the same together in spaced relation.

11. A Fourdrinier wire-draping device comprising a pair of spaced end frames secured together at their upper portions only, a dial rotatably mounted on each of said end frames for handling wire-supporting poles, each of said end frames including a pole end-receiving opening extending horizontally inwardly therefrom into communication with the lower periphery of the associated dial, each of said dials having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pole end-receiving recesses formed in the periphery thereof, each of said frames having pole endengaging surface means adjacent the periphery of the ciated dial.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,290,087

Berry et a1. July 14, 1942 2,297,593 Webb Sept. 29, 1942 2,473,100 Hornbostel June 14, 1949 

